


slowly but surely mending (brick by brick, heart by heart)

by butmomilovepeter



Series: we’re in the endgame now [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 00:04:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17436047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butmomilovepeter/pseuds/butmomilovepeter
Summary: Tony finds Peter’s gravestone about a week after coming back from space.It’s right next to his Uncle Ben’s and his parents. He hates the way it looks. It’s sticks out the most out of all four. Maybe it’s because the dates are too recent, his birthdate was like yesterday for Tony. 2001.





	slowly but surely mending (brick by brick, heart by heart)

**Author's Note:**

> here’s a fun little thingy. it’s not great. i just wanted to write tony crying

Tony finds Peter’s gravestone about a week after coming back from space.

It’s right next to his Uncle Ben’s and his parents. He hates the way it looks. It’s sticks out the most out of all four. Maybe it’s because the dates are too recent, his birthdate was like yesterday for Tony. _2001._

He doesn’t have any flowers. He’s not dressed in any attire that’s appropriate. Not that he thinks Peter would care.

“Hey, kid.” He begins, patting himself on the back for not cracking. “Sorry it took me so long to come.”

Nobody responds, and for some odd reason this disappoints him. He sighs. “May isn’t ready to come to you. I’m not sure she can face it. Just don’t take it personally.”

He can feel a build up in his throat. He pushes it down. “I’m sorry you went out...the way you did. That was never the plan.”

 _What was the plan, Stark?_ No one asks.

“You want to know my plans kid? I wish I could have told you sooner.” He swallows. “The company would have been yours. Predictable, yeah, but what did you expect?”

He somehow manages to laugh a bit, but he doesn’t feel anything behind it.

He looks around at the cemetery. He’s always hated cemeteries. No one is ever happy at a cemetery. Everyone always feels alone. He felt alone. Alone alone alone.

“And I thought maybe, maybe you and I would become a real good team, you know? Iron Man and Spider-Man against the world.”

He really meant that too. The kid had more heart than anyone he knew. He was the future Tony wanted for the world to come.

He sighs, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Guess what? Pepper’s pregnant. You called it, kid.”

The conversation they had a week before the snap replays in his head.

 

_“Mr.Stark?” The kid fumbled with his shirt buttons._

_“What’s up?” Tony spun around in his office chair. The kid looked nervous. “Pete?”_

_“Has...has Pepper seemed off to you lately?” He asked, not meeting Tony’s eyes._

_“No? Why?”_

_“Just, uh, well…” Peter took a deep breath. “My spidey sense has been going off around her...but like in a good way!” Peter recovered when Tony raised his eyebrows._

_“Good way?”_

_“Well, you see…” Peter smirked. “I think she might be pregnant.”_

 

“She misses you, too. I sent her a video when I was...up there.” He cracked his knuckles. “She had to be the one to tell May. It shoulda been me.”

_That should be you with the grave. Not him._

“I wish it were me instead.” His voice finally broke. “You--you didn’t _deserve_ this.”

And he truly didn’t. He deserved first dates and kisses. He deserved to get drunk on his 21st birthday and to throw up on someone’s shoes the same night. To meet someone and fall in love. To get married and maybe have some spiderlings of his own.

He deserved anything _but_ what happened to him.

That’s when he hears the crunching of leaves behind him.

Steve Rogers stans sadly nearby.

“How long you been standing there, Cap?” Tony asks, wiping away the wetness from his face.

Steve offers a sad smile. “Long enough.”

“Pepper say I’d be here?” Tony guesses. Steve shrugs.

“I assumed you would be.” He swallows and walks up closer. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Tony exhales, crossing his arms. “Yeah, I know. We’ve got shit to figure out.”

But Steve shakes his head. “We can deal with all that later. I was just...was worried about you.”

“You’re sweet.” Tony jokes without the humor. Steve turns his head towards the stone, the same mournful and solum look upon his face that he had worn when he found Tony, alone, drifting in the emptiness of space.

“What was he like?” Steve asks quietly.

Tony looks him right in the eye, wondering if it was worth telling.

He decides, yes. It absolutely was.

“The best kid I’ve ever know.” He brings a small smile to his lips. “Stupidly brave. A genius.”

Steve returns the smile, almost like he was expecting that answer. Tony continues, feeling the urge to validate. “But he was sweet. Like a puppy or something.”

That gains a light laugh from Steve. “He sounds like a good kid.”

“I wish I could have told him that.” Tony admits suddenly, sadness filling his heart. “I didn’t tell him enough.”

Steve doesn’t respond, but he’s not sure he wants him to.

“He’s not even gonna get to meet my kid. And...and I don’t know why that hurts so much.”

The wind picks up then, creating waves in the grass.

“There was no body to bury. Not even a funeral. Just a gravestone and an empty casket.” The tears clog his throat and vision, suddenly not caring Steve was around.

“You couldn’t have done anything _more_ , Tony.” Steve makes a point of saying. Tony shakes his head, wiping the tears from his mouth.

“Wrong. I could tried harder to keep him home. I could have just let Thanos kill me--”

Tony watches as Steve grimaces at the statement. Both men go deathly quiet.

“Would Peter have let you?” Steve ponders after a few moments.

“No,” Tony answers. “But it wouldn’t have hurt as much.” He finds Steve’s eyes, showing the pain but wondering behind them. “You know what? He was the only one, out of _half_ the goddamn universe, who felt pain when they died. You want to know why?”

He swears Steve’s head shakes.

“Because of his fucking _superpowers._ Can you imagine? The thing _you_ save people with hurts _you_ in the end!”

“Tony--”

“And he was begging me! He was _begging_ me to save him and that he didn’t want to die, and his last words?” The tears flow wildly down his face and onto the grass below. _“”I’m sorry.’_ What in God’s name was he sorry for, Steve?” 

By now, Steve’s eyes are red too, unshed tears stuck in them.

“We will get him back.” Steve decides right then and there. Tony scoffs.

“I never told him I loved him. Never. Not once. Didn’t ever hug him.” Tony runs a cold hand through his hair. “God, Rogers, I _loved_ him. I _loved_ him so much.”

And Steve nods, creating the tear tracks.

“I know you did,” said Steve. “I know.”

The cemetery is still so lonely.   


End file.
